Best advice for new ex racehorse owners.

ktj1891

ktj1891

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 March 2010
Messages
1,584
Visit site
So yeah as what title says.

Any good advice tips, from moment bring your ex racer home to how to school on in a different job.
 
What would you feed an ex- racer whose last race was less than a week ago so racing fit. But wont be doing anywhere near as much work, like nothing just days off and gently lunging for time being.
 
ha ha been there.Firstly get insurance !!! :pthen feed calm and condition its good fibre feed non heating ,if you want to keep condition calm and condition worked well on my tbs for maintaining weight and level headedness.Both from allen and paige.Good luck and have fun. :D
 
Get them stabled somewhere with good all year round safe turnout, that if nessary will let you have indivdual or small herds aswell can make a reall difference to ex-racers.
 
1. Make sure you have a well fitting saddle that is not too heavy, remember they have been used to very lightweight saddles all their lives so a huge heavy saddle will be a shock.
2. Don't girth them up too tight before you get on, tb's are very thinned skinned and hate girths being tightened quickly.
3. Allow him/her time to wind down from racing fitness.
4. TB's do shy and spook, they mean nothing nasty by it and are often surprised that it upsets the rider so try not to be cross with them to start with just gently make it clear that you would prefer them not to do it.
5. If you go for a canter do not shorten your reins once you are cantering as this is a sign to them to go faster. Pulling gently on the neckstrap and asking them to come back with your voice often works better.
6. Dont' expect miracles! They take a long time to settle to life out of training.

Finally, they are generally very honest, kind, forgiving and very rewarding when they get the hang of it!

Have fun.
 
id turn it out for a few months to give it a break then would do like everyone else says get it into a routine then start schooling it to what job you want it to do but remember its already been taught a job so you need to expect a few hiccups but the horse isnt being naughty just doing what its been taught :)
 
Take it slowly! Might suck now but in a years time you'll be pleased you have. But other than that, strict routine and careful feeding.
 
Lolo said:
Take it slowly! Might suck now but in a years time you'll be pleased you have. But other than that, strict routine and careful feeding.
Click to expand...

Exactly what I was going to say, Lola! There is no hurry, and believe me, the time that you put in now, from time off from racing, good ground work on to correct schooling, management and feeding will really repay you and your horse in the long term. Enjoy!!
 
i'd second the poster who suggested letting him wind down for a few weeks...i let my guys off for weeks and just did a lot of handling and hand walking. i think it did him the world of good, and it gave us a good relationship and understanding even before i got in the saddle... apart from that just take stuff reaaallly slowly. my horse has a really child-like, eager to please personality and he gets flustered if he thinks he did stuff wrong.. i think his head would have melted if i'd loaded him with too much stuff early on!

don't be afraid that he is so forward, work with his energy and not against it. my horse used to rear and nap, so you have to be very confident and calm and just keep them forward till the learn that you are in charge. apart from that routine routine routine!!
 
great advice above. agree that the main things are giving thme decent time off. also, hugely important, routine and also feed. Low starch, a lot of feeds say low starch but are actually 15% or so, that's not low. look at top spec or winergy.
good luck and enjoy. x
ps major point, make sure he is insured lol
 
Ok, so this is my opinion!
1)wind down time is key!! in my experience they haven't been out much as part of a herd so don't really get how to be a 'horse' in a herd. Give them time to relax and settle.
2) Don't shout at them, they get stressy!!!
3) do a lot of in-hand work too.
4) check if he/she's been out on roads before. I've been lucky as my two ex-racers have both been at yards where they rode out in traffic so they're used to it. If you;re not sure walk them up and down the road in hand to get them used to traffic.
5)Remember they get a jockey lobbed at them while moving so the principle of standing still for a block/step is very alien to them. Having a patient friend who can hold them while you get on is very useful. After the intial 'get on' i'd ride my last boy, then get on and off a few times before we left the school just while his back was nice and warm and he'd lost a bit of fizz! Feed them by the step so they get used to it. No matter what weight you are you may also be the biggest thing they've had on them- size 8 whippet people included! so be patient and try not to slap into the saddle.
6) Be kind to their mouths too!!
7) their feet take a lot of looking after as they have what my farrier affectionately terms 'biscuit feet' they crumble easy so lots of NAf hoof moist (or similar) is key and a good feed suppliments with biotin in it. Farriers formula or formula for feet are very good.
8) I feed my current boy on half stubs scoop of baileys no.17 topline and condition mix, with a stubs scoop of happy hoof, a coffee cup of equilibra and a few carrots twice a day, and split a scoop of black salt and magnitiude between each feed. The amount of no.17 will go up when he's in more strenuous work! He seems to like it!! Fed last boy on the Allen and Page feed and he was good on that too.
9) when riding also remember they only race one way so they will be very built up one side rather than the other. Get his/her teeth and back checked to find out exactly what you need to be working on. They often 'tip' their head to one side on one rein, just neeed to be patient and do lots of circles and serpentines and figure of 8's to encourage them gradually to build up the weaker muscle group. Also they have small mouths and HUMONGOUS tongues so a thinish bit with a link or roller in it is usually kindest to them i.e. french link.

They're very very trusting, and rely a lot on you for confidence. It's hard getting them going, I had to give my last boy, who was very green, up due to lack of time to do him justice but luckily I was able to get my current lad (another ex-racer) who'd been brought on a bit more and we've clicked really well. Give them a lot of love and attention and they'll give you it back... especially for carrots!!! :D
Any more advice pls msg me, I'm by no stretch of the imagination an expert but had my fair share of good and bad experiences so i'll happily help!!! Know a lot of people with exracers so sure between us we can offer some advice!!
 
the uk has left and right handed tracks so dont know why people seem to think uk racehorses only race in one direction. they usually become one sided through favouring a leg etc if have a niggle or through bad riding on the gallops
 
Definitely found out (the hard way) as the second poster said - ROUTINE. Feed at the same time, turned out/brought in at the same time. Makes a world of difference.

Also..let them act like racehorses sometimes. We have a double ring for this, but a large paddock works well too. When I chuck mine in the double ring he knows he's allowed to gallop,buck,kick and generally act like a loon. He gets all his silly energy out and then I have a sane horse for a while again.
 
my boy is one sided. Had an osteopath out to him who pointed out he was like 2 different horses! his right side was fine (nothing noticed) whereas his left was a lot stiffer/tighter. She pointed out a number of things and we're doing carrot stretches every night before dinner. I work a lot on both reins and he's beginning to even up.
Also when riding (as I think has been said) don't hold onto their mouths as I've discovered if you do they will only get faster! I remind myself to slow rising and loosen the contact. He's a big strong boy but it does work! I've tried a number of bits as my boy can be quite strong but has a tiny mouth and large tongue. He's in a neue schule elevator and he goes lovely in it :D
Vary what you do. I use poles a lot in schooling. Circles, changes of rein, serpentines that kind of thing.
Feet. I use NAF farriers hoof moist religiously. We also have a lovely farrier which is a bonus. He's worked wonders.
Feeding is very important. Handy thrives on routine.
Most of all enjoy them! Handy is so honest, kind and very genuine. He's a real trier and enjoys life a lot. He's a pleasure to do and gorgeous to ride. I've had a lot of positive comments about him.
 
Having re-trained many ex-racers in several different ways I now do this-

1) Keep working them, I find giving them a total break straight off is not always the best way forward. I like to get them used to their new life- 20mins in the school, short hacks etc

2) Remember they are fit, not necessarily skinny. Many people start shovelling food down them because they look light but I only feed them chaff and a handful of nuts alongside plenty of grass/hay. As the fitness reduces and level of work tails off, they will put on weight. Feeding them vast quantities when they arent doing much work will lead to no end of problems

3) Mine get a rapid introduction to turn out- set up the routine theyre going to live in as soon as they get home.

4) Treat them like a recently broken horse in terms of schooling- lots of walk to start to teach them about softening to the contact and bending, trot is quiet and slow, canter is literally 1 lap each rein just to learn the strike off

5) Every horse is different- many yards will have done things properly and the horse will be sensible to hack out, even in both reins and level headed in which case re-training is easy peasy
 
The most important bit of advise is to take your time.

Don't rush it, I preferred to let him down slowly. I hacked out quietly the day after he came with a sensible horse in walk and remained in walk/trot for weeks.

He stayed in at night and went out for the day.

I gradually introduced him to the herd because he wasnt used to being turned out let alone with a load of other horses.

I fed forage only even through last winter. I avoided haylage as most race horses have ulcers.

He now has Top spec cool condition cubes, speedibeet, alpha A Oil. Feed the lowest starch feed that you can find until you have got to know him.

Dont expect too much too quickly and you'll reap the rewards in the long run.
 
thats a good point about letting them be racehorses. I take my horse in from turnout and then let him let off steam in the sand arena, he absolutely loves it, and it takes the fizz out of him before riding.

Also don't be in a panic to get him 'in an outline'. I had a friend who got an exracer and she was obsessed with getting him on the bit and in an outline as soon as possible. His whole body and muscles just weren't ready for it, and now he is in a fake outline and falls to the front. I am letting my horse gradually start to use himself properly, he was like a giraffe when i got him and he pulled himself along by his front feet. I'm happy to take my time and gradually improve his self carraige.
 
Why not phone the RoR (Retraining of Racehorses) Helpline. They will be able to give the best advice as they are seeing horses like this all the time and can taylor advice for your individual situation. My friend has phoned several times and found them really friendly and non-judgemental.
 
Other thing to bear in mind is that they may well be one sided. I know in my country they only race to one side (though not necessarily true in the UK) and he wouldn't canter on the left lead at all under saddle/on the lunge/in the paddock. He learnt, but it took a lot of patience.

Also, mine had never lunged to the left either. He was ok on the right to lunge, but really pretty confused on the left to start with.

Aaaand. Take your time teaching the buggers to stand still when you mount. Use a mounting block or have a leg up and get somebody to hold the horse preferably, because more often than not, they start walking as you go to get on out of track habits.
 
paddi22 said:
thats a good point about letting them be racehorses. I take my horse in from turnout and then let him let off steam in the sand arena, he absolutely loves it, and it takes the fizz out of him before riding.

Also don't be in a panic to get him 'in an outline'. I had a friend who got an exracer and she was obsessed with getting him on the bit and in an outline as soon as possible. His whole body and muscles just weren't ready for it, and now he is in a fake outline and falls to the front. I am letting my horse gradually start to use himself properly, he was like a giraffe when i got him and he pulled himself along by his front feet. I'm happy to take my time and gradually improve his self carraige.
Click to expand...

^^^^This. I would also give horse at least 3 months off before doing ANY work whatsoever. Let it learn to be a horse again.. and the advice about outline - so true.
 
Agree with everything that has been said here.

Couple of things to add, first if he has only been ridden in a racing saddle he won't be used to seing legs on either side, mine spooked for ages at mine, in the end I loose schooled him with some 'fake legs' made from johds stuffed with old tights attached to a roller.

Second learn to sit STILL any movement of hand or body will get a reaction, my instructor (who had dealt with many ex racers) used to say 'think the aids' rather than do them. Then you will give a much lighter aid and not have the horse leaping at your hands/legs.

As someone else has said, the more work the better, and remeber that they are racehorses and if you want a quiet life go have a decent gallop every week or so.
 
All good advise and agree with all to a certain extent, but to add to it, the best thing you can do is listen to the individual horse. He'll tell you what you need to do with him...for example, my filly was straight of the track, she doesn't spook or shy.

When she was in a set routine she was horrid, she is now done differently most nights, sometimes i'll feed straight a way other days i'll pooh pick then feed, or groom then feed, she is much better like this.

She lives out all year and is not stabled as she keeps the weight on better and gets stressed stabled.

So all the above advise is great if your horse is the same as thiers, but i'd listen to your horse and see what best suits him/her.

As yours last raced only a week ago, i'd not just throw out for a month you would be better slowly reducing the work then turning away for a few weeks rest.

Good luck with him/her and have fun that is the main thing, i'm sure the two of you will have a good future together. x :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top